Power points

On Friday 29 March, The Scotsman reported that figures from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy showed that record levels of renewable energy (26,708 gigawatt hours) were produced in Scotland.

The figures also showed that this output means that nearly three-quarters of Scotland’s gross electrical consumption came from renewable sources and electricity exported from Scotland nearly doubled from 12,868 gigawatt hours to 24,379 gigawatt hours.

However, we have Ian Moir (Letters, 30 March) stating conjecture as fact and saying that the ban on gas will triple energy costs and mean a cut of 25 per cent to the NHS budget. He also says that providing

infrastructure to charge electric cars will cost £0.5 trillion, but gives no clue how he arrives at these extraordinary figures.

In another development, Prof Ronald Macdonald reported an interest in “a breakthrough in renewable technology which could see Scotland develop a new source of energy supply with huge export potential”. This relates to the development of a technique to store and export low-cost ammonia turned into hydrogen.

Prof Macdonald is urging Scotland to become an early adopter, saying renewables would enable Scotland to become entirely carbon neutral and sell energy.

Mr Moir regularly rails against wind power, although the improved output noted above largely relates to offshore wind. However, he doesn’t appear to consider other technologies like tidal, solar or hydro. The possibilities of hydrogen appear to have bypassed him.

GILL TURNER Derby Street, Edinburgh